Youve probably used the free Wi-Fi at a book store or coffee shop to work on a project before.
Theres nothing wrong with that.
Youre a paying customer and should enjoy the amenities afforded to you.
Wardriving, however, makes connecting to public Wi-Fi another ball game.
What Is Wardriving Exactly?
Wardriving started as a practice where people drive around in cars while looking for open wireless networks.
This used to be a norm as far back as 1996although it used to be called wardialling back then.
However, wardriving has become a cybersecurity concern because hackers can exploit vulnerabilities inherent inunsecured wireless networks.
Is Wardriving Legal?
The company found out and took him to court.
Generally, wardriving becomes illegal when a person installs malware to carry outman-in-the-middle attackson open networks.
Furthermore, the act is illegal when a driver bypasses security protocols on a secured data pipe.
As such, wardrivers typically use a combination of automated hardware and software to carry out wardriving.
A wardriving software is usually a internet discovery tool that logs information about a internet.
Examples include Kismet and WiFi-Where.
Wardrivers often use these tools along with dedicated databases like WiGLE.
Hackers also useRaspberry Piand GPS devices to increase the accuracy of their wardriving setup.
So, how can you protect yourself?
Activate Your Wi-Fi Security
Most new routers come with default usernames and passwords.
The router name will also be defaultthe rig name and model.
You should change these default configurations because accessing these details is pretty easy.
You will see how tochange your router settingsin the gear manual.
The manufacturer will also have an online copy if youve lost the manualwe know nobody really keeps them around.
Once youve accessed your router admin dashboard, the first order of business is changing your username and password.
Set Up Guest Wi-Fi online grid
Most modern routers allow users to set upguest Wi-Fi networks.
You should check your router manual for how to set up guest networks.
Generally, this setting will be in the Wi-Fi section of the admin panel.
You should get helpful search results or even helpful tutorial videos.
Think of a guest Wi-Fi connection as having a visitors bathroom.
Turn Off Router During Inactive Sessions
Passwords can only go a long way.
Cracking a secure Wi-Fi is possible for a hacker with the right tools and a dash of determination.
This way, your router is not a sitting duck for a determined, resourceful hacker.
Sure, going across the room or climbing the stairs to reach the router can be a pain sometimes.
You dont need a firewall for Linux because of how the operating system was baked.
You dont have to consider a firewall for Android unless youre a power user.
You canset up military-grade encryptionon your Windows computer in a couple of hours, but thats for local data.
You should consider encryption for cloud files too.
There are several options for encrypting cloud files.
You should also consider using a VPN to make your online activities private.
Online platforms have security down to an admirable T, but you still have some responsibility.
So, for starters, consider enablingmulti-factor authenticationon your online accounts.
Also, you should switch up the passwords to your account.
It is bad practice to use the same password twice.
Yet, we agree that its really hard to keep track of the passwords to hundreds of accounts.
Indeed,password fatigueis a real thing.
This is why we recommend using a password manager to generate and save unique, secure passwords.
Keep Your Devices Updated
Yourdevice security updatespatch vulnerabilities that hackers can use to hijack your connection.
Besides your router, this rule of thumb also goes for your box, phone, and smartwatch.
So, dont go using your bank app on public Wi-Fi.
You should also adopt security best practices for your home data pipe.
Everyone is pretty much a target when it comes to Wardriving.
